It really comes down to how you decide to handle yes/no questions in the first place. A lot of people on this sub will say tarot isn’t ideal for that kind of framing, but if you’re going to use it that way, you kind of have to set your own system and stick to it.
Some readers go with a very simple approach: upright = yes, reversed = no. In that case, you can still look at the card’s meaning for context, but the basic answer stays the same. So even if you pull something traditionally “negative” like the Tower, if it’s upright and you’ve defined your system that way, it’s still a yes.
Others read more based on meaning rather than a strict upright/reversed switch. And it’s important to remember that reversals don’t automatically mean the opposite of the upright. For example, if the question is “Will I get the promotion?” and you pull the Sun, that’s generally a yes. If it’s the Sun reversed, I’d still lean yes, but with a delay or timing issue—like it’s coming later or needs more steps first. The reversed Sun often points more toward postponed success rather than denial. So reducing reversals to a simple “no” can be a bit too simplistic.
Also, most real-life situations aren’t truly yes/no anyway. There’s usually a lot of nuance in between. A question like “Will my car break down tomorrow?” sounds binary, but “yes” could mean anything from a minor electrical issue to a major mechanical failure. Those are very different outcomes.
That’s why a lot of readers prefer spreads that leave space for detail rather than forcing everything into a yes/no frame.
